Author Archives: Erik Smith

Washington House Republicans roll out plan to implement $30 car tabs, establish new funding source for transportation – without raising taxes

Barkis: “We have put solutions on the table that would respect the will of the voters and meet future transportation needs.”

Washington House Republicans have unveiled a plan that would implement $30 car tabs, establish a new funding source for transportation and cut bureaucracy at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The plan would not rely on any new tax increases.

Nearly 53% of voters statewide supported I-976 in the November election. However, lawsuits have been filed to overturn the initiative.

“Washingtonians have spoken on car tabs and it’s the job of the Legislature and governor to respond,” said Rep. Andrew Barkis, ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee. “We need to put policy over politics. This means implementing 30-dollar car tabs, establishing a permanent account for preservation and maintenance, and setting priorities at WSDOT. We have put solutions on the table that would respect the will of the voters and meet future transportation needs.”

House Bill 2227 would limit state and local taxes, fees and other charges relating to vehicles, and establish $30 car tabs. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Jesse Young, assistant ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee.

“Regardless of what some elected officials might think, we are not chosen to be kings. We are elected as public servants. It’s our job to listen and then work hard to find solutions,” said Young, R-Gig Harbor. “The voters have clearly spoken on this issue, and the Legislature should honor the will of the people.”

Washington House Republicans acknowledge that the implementation of I-976 would create a transportation revenue shortfall. The Office of Financial Management’s fiscal impact statement for the initiative says it will reduce revenue by $478 million.

“Our state needs a stable, permanent transportation funding source,” said Rep. Drew MacEwen, assistant ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.

House Bill 2323, sponsored by MacEwen, would phase in a shift of state sales tax on motor vehicles to pay for cash-based preservation and maintenance projects in increments of 10% for 10 years. This approach would generate an estimated $117.5 million in revenue for transportation in 2021.

“Vehicle sales-tax revenue has a direct nexus to transportation and would not be a new tax burden on Washingtonians,” added MacEwen, R-Union. “If we implement this reform over time, our operating budget could absorb the change and we would address the preservation and maintenance needs of our transportation system for years to come.”

House Bill 2285, sponsored by Rep. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley, would also make preservation and maintenance a priority for transportation goals by taking care of the existing system rather than funding new services.  

Washington House Republicans also believe more should be expected from Gov. Inslee and his WSDOT in adjusting to I-976 fiscal realities. They believe the agency should be able to cut bureaucracy – not projects – to maximize existing tax dollars. Implementing 10% targeted reductions in transportation spending – without impacting preservation, maintenance and special needs – could result in $269.7 million in savings.

Rep. Jim Walsh, ranking Republican on the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, says it is time for Gov. Inslee to be a part of the solution – not the problem. Last year, following the 2019 legislative session, Inslee unilaterally increased transportation spending for fish-barrier removal by $100 million.

“Governor Inslee should join us in developing state transportation solutions that are truly progressive – that is, innovative and forward-looking. The old, stale tactic of threatening good projects with the chopping block isn’t necessary,” said Walsh, R-Aberdeen. “We can – and must – do better. We’ve got the plan. We just need our colleagues, including the governor, to put the people’s voice ahead of partisan agendas.”

House Bill 2194, sponsored by Walsh, would restrict executive discretion in adjusting transportation budgets. 

The 2020 legislative session began on Jan. 13 and will run 60 consecutive days.

Your responses to my 2020 legislative priorities survey

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I’m sending this email update out tonight because starting tomorrow, all legislators will be under election-year restrictions. That means I won’t be able to send you any more email updates until the start of the 2020 session on Jan. 13. However, I will still be able to respond to your phone calls and emails, so please continue contacting me with your comments, questions and concerns. My phone number is (360) 786-7902, and my email address is Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov.

Legislative priorities survey responses

Thank you to the more than 500 of you who responded to the legislative priorities survey I sent out last week! I was blown away by the response. I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer each question and provide your feedback on the issues you care most about. Here are the results from the survey:

Q1. What do you believe is the top priority the Legislature needs to address during the 2020 session? (Responses are a weighted average)

Q2. What is the most significant financial challenge your family faces on a monthly basis? (Responses are a weighted average)

Q3. In general, I’m happy with the way things are going in Washington state.

Q4. Do you believe the Legislature spends your tax dollars wisely on services that Washingtonians need, or do you believe that the Legislature wastes your tax dollars on unnecessary and frivolous things?

Q5. Would you support an increase in the gas tax as a way to pay for improving the state’s roads, highways and bridges?

Q6. Do you support replacing the gas tax with a pay-per-mile system?

Q7. Do you support a state income tax?

Q8. Would you support legislation to prevent local governments from implementing an income tax?

Thank you again for your responses. And please know your top priorities for the Legislature are my top priorities as well. I care deeply about ensuring we pass fiscally responsible budgets that leave us in a good position to weather tough economic times. I am passionate about protecting you and your family from a majority party that can never seem to tax you enough. And I am committed to doing everything I can to keep the costs of daily living as low as possible, no matter what stage of life you’re in.

I touched on these points and more in a video update I recorded last week at the Capitol. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31GjmT4VcU

House Page Program

One of the best things about serving in the Legislature is having the opportunity to sponsor young people to serve in the House Page Program. Students who participate in the weeklong program attend page school every day, assist lawmakers on the House floor, and fulfill many other tasks critical to the efficient operation of the Legislature. It’s a great experience they’ll never forget.

If you know of any students who would be interested serving as a page during the 2020 session, please send me an email. Applicants must have a legislative sponsor and also obtain written permission from their parents and school.

For more information, click here.

Contacting me

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns. I also welcome you to contact my legislative assistant, Rob Barnes, if you’d like to schedule a time to sit down with me and discuss your legislative priorities before the start of the 2020 session.

It is an honor to serve you.

Take my legislative priorities survey!

In preparation for the 2020 session, lawmakers will be heading back to Olympia next week for Committee Assembly days. During these two days, committees will be meeting to receive briefings on some of the most pressing issues facing our state, and then discussing potential solutions.

Our caucus will also be meeting to continue a discussion we started at a retreat last month about what our top priorities will be during the 60-day session. At the top of the list is continuing to fight for you and your family against a majority that’s raised your taxes, increased spending at an unsustainable rate, and irresponsibly expanded the size and scope of government. Because of their policies, Washington state has become less affordable and less competitive with our neighbors. That’s unacceptable, and we will continue making that clear in our communications.

As session draws closer, I want to hear from you. What are your top priorities for the Legislature in 2020? What issues do you care most about? What policies do you support or oppose? I invite you to take my 10-question survey here. I’ll be sharing the results in my next email update later this month.

Thank you in advance for your responses. It is an honor to serve you in the Legislature.

Session recap: Democrats shut public out of process to pass $2 billion in new tax increases

Although it was always likely the Democrat majority would increase spending and raise taxes this year, we didn’t know what tax increases would be coming to the floor until the final weekend of session. And that’s because they used title-only bills to disguise their intentions.

The Seattle Times editorial board explains:

They used a parliamentary gimmick called a “title-only bill” to bypass the state constitution and cut the public out of the process. Here’s how it works. At least a couple of weeks before the end of the session, lawmakers file a bunch of title-only bills on different topics. This year there were about two dozen. Each one has a generic title and one sentence body like, “The legislature intends to enact legislation concerning tax revenue.” Then, if lawmakers decide to rush something through at the end of the session, they can cut that sentence and replace it whatever they want.

These title-only bills were used as vehicles to pass $2 billion in tax increases on Washington families in the dead of night. And it wasn’t just The Seattle Times editorial board that took notice. Take a look at the following editorials that have been written since session adjourned on April 28:

When Democrat budget writers sat down to work on the final operating budget this year (Republicans were not invited to the table), they had record revenues and a $2.8 billion surplus to work with. By the time they finished, they had hiked spending 18%, increased taxes by $2 billion, and left only $100 million in reserves.

Their $52.4 billion operating budget relies on the following tax increases:

  • A business and occupation (B&O) tax surcharge on services that will impact 90,000 employers and raise costs for consumers.
  • A new, graduated real estate excise tax (REET) that will restrict housing supply, increase rents and harm our economy.
  • A higher tax on oil that will increase the price of gas.
  • A B&O tax increase on large banks that will result in costs being passed on to customers.
  • A change to the nonresident sales tax exemption, which will result in fewer Oregonians shopping at Washington businesses in our border communities.

Keep in mind this $2 billion doesn’t include the Democrats’ levy lift bill, which will increase property taxes for families across the state by modifying the amount local levies can collect for K-12 enrichment programs.

With the adoption of the 2019-21 operating budget, the Legislature will have increased spending a whopping 70% since 2013. I encourage you to share the chart below with your family, friends and neighbors.

The positives of session

Thankfully, Republicans were able to stop a number of harmful policies this session:

  • House Bill 2156 would create a new capital gains income tax.
  • House Bill 1110 would create a new low carbon fuel standard program, which would significantly increase the price of gas and goods.
  • House Bill 1491 would restrict scheduling options for employees and employers, hurting various industries around the state.
  • House Bill 1515 would force many individual contractors to work as employees as opposed to being their own boss.
  • Senate Bill 5395 would require every school to provide comprehensive sex education.

And while much of session was contentious, another positive is both sides were able to come together to tackle some important priorities for our communities and the state:

  • Senate Bill 5380 will establish new rules regarding opioid prescribing and the dispensing of opioid overdose reversal medication. It will also require physicians to discuss alternatives to opioids with patients before prescribing them.
  • Senate Bill 5091 will increase the excess cost multiplier for special education students, which will result in more funding.  
  • Senate Bill 5511 will expand broadband to enable economic development, public safety and health care across our state.
  • Senate Bill 5649 will eliminate the statute of limitations for most sex crimes committed against minors, and extend the statute of limitations for most other sex offenses. The bill mirrors the one offered by my seatmate, Rep. Dan Griffey, who has done incredible work on this issue.
  • The 2019-21 capital budget provides record funding for mental and behavioral health infrastructure around the state.

Speaking of the capital budget, I worked closely with Sen. Tim Sheldon and Rep. Griffey to secure $81.4 million in local project funding for our district. Some of the investments include:

  • $26.8 million for the ongoing development and implementation of the integrated Chehalis Basin Strategy;
  • $22.4 million for corrections facilities repair and improvements;
  • $6.8 million for the Skokomish River restoration;
  • $4 million to relocate the Schafer campground outside of the floodplain of the East Fork of the Satsop River and build a new welcome center;
  • $3.5 million for the Shelton YMCA;
  • $2 million for the Belfair sewer extension;
  • $600,000 for the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton;
  • $350,000 for the Skabob House Cultural Center at Skokomish Indian Reservation;
  • $265,000 to help replace the irrigation system at Mason Co. Recreation Area;
  • $253,000 to help with salmon recovery in Big Beef Creek Estuary.

Three of my bills signed into law

Since the adjournment of session, three of my bills have been signed into law by the governor.

House Bill 1430 will extend the expiration date of the Licensing and Enforcement Systems Modernization Project Account to September 2023. Revenue for the account, which was created in 2015, comes from a fee applied to certain liquor licenses and the licenses of marijuana producers, processors, and retailers. It is dedicated for expenses associated with the replacement and modernization of the LCB’s computer system. That work is already underway, but was not going to be completed by the time the account was scheduled to expire in June. Extending the expiration date of the account will allow time for the LCB to complete its work.

House Bill 1557 will update the licensing process for businesses applying for an annual liquor license. Currently, business owners pay up front and then go through a review process to get final approval for the license. However, if the review takes longer than expected, they may find themselves paying for a liquor license they aren’t able to use. To mitigate this, HB 1557 will require the expiration date of a liquor license to be set 12 months from the date of approval.

The bill also addresses a provision in current law that requires an applicant to have control of the premises to be qualified for a liquor license. When HB 1557 goes into effect, a business owner will be allowed to apply for a liquor license for a physical location without first signing a lease or buying the property.

In sum, the bill will help mitigate some of the upfront cash flow concerns associated with opening a new business and obtaining a liquor license. We want to make sure the system is fair for our small business owners, and the provisions in this bill will help in that effort.

House Bill 1146 will extend the state’s Christmas tree grower licensure program by 10 years. The program, which was created in 2007, requires Christmas tree growers to obtain a grower license from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The annual fee for a license is $40, plus an acreage assessment of $3 per acre. Fees are deposited into a dedicated Christmas tree subaccount within the WSDA, which are then allocated for a number of ongoing research and preservation efforts.

HB 1146 will ensure the Christmas tree industry in our state, which ranks fourth in production nationwide, remains compliant with the USDA and is able to continue exporting trees here in the United States and around the world. Without this bill, the roughly 250 Christmas tree growers across the state would be at a significant competitive disadvantage.

Each of these bills will become effective later this year.

Contacting me

Although session is now over, please know I’m here to serve you year-round. Don’t hesitate to contact my legislative assistant, Rob Barnes, if you’d like to schedule a time to sit down with me during interim to discuss the issues most important to you and your family. You can also email me directly any time at Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov with your comments, questions or concerns.

It is an honor to serve you.

Three of MacEwen’s bills signed into law by Gov. Inslee

Three bills sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, have been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee following the adjournment of the 2019 legislative session.

House Bills 1430 and 1557 are designed to transform the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) into a more business-friendly agency focused on excellent customer service.

House Bill 1430 will extend the expiration date of the Licensing and Enforcement Systems Modernization Project Account to September 2023. Revenue for the account, which was created in 2015, comes from a fee applied to certain liquor licenses and the licenses of marijuana producers, processors, and retailers. It is dedicated for expenses associated with the replacement and modernization of the LCB’s computer system. That work is already underway, but was not going to be completed by the time the account was scheduled to expire in June.

“Extending the expiration date of this account will allow the LCB to complete the much-needed modernization of its 40-year-old system,” said MacEwen. “These updates will ensure license processing time is reduced, while also providing other benefits such as online payment options. It’s a good bill for the LCB and for our small businesses, which will see a return on their investment into the account.”

House Bill 1557 will update the licensing process for businesses applying for an annual liquor license. Currently, business owners pay up front and then go through a review process to get final approval for their liquor license. However, if the review takes longer than expected, they may find themselves paying for a liquor license they aren’t able to use. To mitigate this, House Bill 1557 will require the expiration date of a liquor license to be set 12 months from the date of approval.

The bill also addresses a provision in current law that requires an applicant to have control of the premises to be qualified for a liquor license. Under HB 1557, a business owner will be allowed to apply for a liquor license for a physical location without first signing a lease or buying the property.

“House Bill 1557 will help mitigate some of the upfront cash flow concerns associated with opening a new business and obtaining a liquor license,” said MacEwen. “We want to make sure the system is fair for our small business owners, and the provisions in this bill will help in that effort.”

House Bill 1146 will extend the state’s Christmas tree grower licensure program by 10 years. The program, which was created in 2007, requires Christmas tree growers to obtain a grower license from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The annual fee for a license is $40, plus an acreage assessment of $3 per acre. Fees are deposited into a dedicated Christmas tree subaccount within the WSDA, which are then allocated for a number of ongoing research and preservation efforts.

“This bill will ensure the Christmas tree industry in our state, which ranks fourth in production nationwide, remains compliant with the USDA and is able to continue exporting trees here in the United States and around the world,” said MacEwen. “Without this bill, the roughly 250 Christmas tree growers across the state would be at a significant competitive disadvantage. In 2013, I ran the bill to extend this program. I’m honored to have played a role this session in extending it yet again through House Bill 1146.”

The 2019 session ended April 28. MacEwen’s three bills will become effective later this year.

35th District projects receive funding in new state capital budget

On Sunday, the Washington State Legislature passed a new, two-year capital budget. The $4.9 billion budget will fund various construction projects throughout the state. Thirty-fifth District legislators Sen. Tim Sheldon, Rep. Drew MacEwen, and Rep. Dan Griffey worked to secure $81.4 million in local project funding. Some of the investments include:

  • $26.8 million for the ongoing development and implementation of the integrated Chehalis Basin Strategy;
  • $22.4 million for corrections facilities repair and improvements;
  • $6.8 million for the Skokomish River restoration;
  • $4 million to relocate the Schafer campground outside of the floodplain of the East Fork of the Satsop River and build a new welcome center;
  • $3.5 million for the Shelton YMCA;
  • $2 million for the Belfair sewer extension;
  • $600,000 for the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton;
  • $350,000 for the Skabob House Cultural Center at Skokomish Indian Reservation;
  • $265,000 to help replace the irrigation system at Mason Co. Recreation Area;
  • $253,000 to help with salmon recovery in Big Beef Creek Estuary.

Following passage of the budget, the lawmakers released the following statement:

“Despite the many divisive policies we considered this legislative session, the 2019-21 capital budget reflects our shared state priorities. Under this budget, K-12 school construction funding reaches historic levels with $1.09 billion invested. We’ve already made K-12 education our number-one priority in the state operating budget, and this biennium’s capital budget follows suit.

“We’ve also doubled down on our efforts to fix our broken mental health system by providing $308 million to our state psychiatric hospitals and other state-run community facilities.

“We are investing $175 million in housing to help bring an end to our affordable housing crisis. According to a 2018 US News and World Report study, housing in Washington state is more unaffordable than almost anywhere else in the nation. This robust investment will help us increase availability and prevent individuals from facing the dire prospect of homelessness.

“Lastly, we worked hard in both chambers to secure funding for a number of important projects in our communities. These projects will result in safer, improved facilities, ecosystem restoration, flood mitigation, increased revenue generated at our recreational areas, and much more. We’re excited about these much-needed investments in our district.”

For a full list of projects funded in the 35th District, visit https://fiscal.wa.gov/BudgetCProjList.aspx and select “35th Legislative District.”

The 2019-21 capital budget awaits the governor’s signature.

MacEwen sponsors Marshall Middle School student as House page

Sponsored by 35th District Rep. Drew MacEwen, 14-year-old Olympia student Maggie Farr made the short trip to the Capitol earlier this month to serve as a page in the Washington State House of Representatives.

Maggie enjoys drawing, painting and doing aerial arts, as well as being involved in drama and plays. During her week at the Capitol, she attended page school every day, delivered messages and documents to legislators and staff, and fulfilled other tasks critical to the efficient operation of the Legislature.

“The House Page Program provides such a great opportunity for our young people to get involved and learn more about how state government works,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “I hope Maggie had a great time during her week here at the Capitol. I’m grateful for her service, and wish her the very best going forward.”

To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor, be between the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents and school. Pages earn $35 per day while serving in the program. For more information about the House Page Program, click here.

Rep. MacEwen joins iFiberOne NewsRadio to discuss the possibility of a special session this year

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, joins iFiberOne NewsRadio to explain why he thinks it is likely the legislature will be forced into a special session over differing budget proposals. MacEwen also gives an update on the status of each of the three budgets.